Lynn Lake holds second election Wednesday after results of October voting nullified

Residents of Lynn Lake, Man., are heading back to the polls on Feb. 15 to cast their ballots for an election do-over.

A previous municipal election took place on Oct. 26, when one mayor and one councillor were elected. However, the results were swiftly nullified as not enough positions were filled. A total of three elected community representatives were needed to meet minimum quorum as there were five available positions in total.

"We kind of knew going into this, this might happen," said David Campbell, who initially won the role of mayor in the first municipal election. "So we were prepared for it in a way."

Work toward the second election began in January with voter registration concluding on Jan. 10, and advance voting taking place on Feb. 9 in the northern town about 800 km from Winnipeg.

Two mayoral candidates — David Campbell and Brandon Dulewich — are currently running, and six people are looking to fill the four available spots on council.

While Campbell ran previously, Brandon took over for his dad, Audie Dulewich, who ran during the Oct. 26 election.

"He thought he'd be able to get in and make a change in a four-year term," said Brandon. 

"I think maybe myself, you know, [I'm] younger, there's a whole new voting population in the community that just might not know exactly who he is. So I thought I might be a little better candidate for this run."

Mayoral promises

If elected as mayor, Campbell said he hopes to take care of housing and employment issues that have been impacting the community of around 600 people.

"We have a lot of housing issues, a lot of infrastructure issues, we have a lot of employment issues as well. So that's what we've been trying to focus on," he said. "That's the main thing."

The town's housing issues stem back to the closure of the community's mine. 

"When the mine shut down," said Campbell. "There was a lot of abandoned housing left, and if nobody's in those houses, they're going to deteriorate and so a lot of houses have been taken down.

"About 10 years ago, we did have Manitoba Housing come in, we got 10 new units but we sure could use some more. It's hard to attract people into the community, for teachers or hospital staff like that, if you don't have housing for them."

The lack of hospital staff is also a main focus for Brandon, as he wants to address the health-care issues occurring in Lynn Lake.

"Our hospitals are being picked apart piece by piece," he said. "It's just daunting to see that, you know, all these essential services in the north are just slowly being taken away.

"I'm gonna try to fight to have those come back."

Brandon also said he'll work to bring a full-time RCMP presence back into Lynn Lake, as the current setup isn't sufficient.

"The police are now on a shift work [schedule], and frankly, it doesn't seem to work in our community," he said. 

"The crime levels have spiked, and yeah, not working out that great for us."

Campbell said the resolution of Lynn Lake's nearly 12-year-old boil water advisory is another problem that needs to be addressed.

"We do have water coming to the houses, but it hasn't been drinkable," said Campbell. "So you could use it for bathing and for cooking and stuff like that, but just not for drinking."

The town is currently in talks with the province, Campbell said, and hopes are high that a water treatment plant will be commissioned come late March to help resolve the issue.

Nerves and excitement

Both Brandon and Campbell have voiced their nerves about the upcoming election, but are excited to see the end result.

"You're kind of planning your future for the next four years, right? How it's going to look, how it's going to change," said Campbell.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

"I've got a strong voice," said Brandon. 

"I'd be able to get down and campaign for what Lynn Lake needs, or what the North needs for that matter."